Camp Tahigwa Girl Scout Camp near Dorchester offering Family Fun Day Open House this Sunday, and so much more

by Lissa Blake

Courage, Confidence and Character.
Young girls have all that to gain and nothing to lose by signing up for an outdoor learning experience at Camp Tahigwa Girl Scout Camp near Dorchester this summer. Families can get a sneak preview of all the camp has to offer during Camp Tahigwa’s Family Fun Day and Open House this Sunday, May 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“We hope everyone will come see us. We want everyone to know we’re here,” said “Ranger Gene” Averhoff, who has managed the camp for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois for the past 25 years.
Averhoff is director of property for Camp Tahigwa and three other camps in Eastern Iowa. Over the years, he has enjoyed watching thousands of campers enjoy what camp has to offer.
“Camp is a place where we level the field and girls can be girls,” said Averhoff. “Girls can come here and stay without any social, economic or boy pressure. Many campers come from an urban setting, and this is a great opportunity for them to enjoy Iowa’s natural beauty.”

ABOUT THE CAMP
Camp “Tahigwa,” a Native American word which means “at peace,” opened in 1967, following the purchase of 315 acres by the Conestoga Council of Girl Scouts.
Many Girl Scout volunteers, the 389th Army Reserve Engineers Battalion of Decorah and students from Calmar’s Area 1 Vocational Technical School (now Northeast Iowa Community College) worked countless hours at the site to ready it for campers. In April of 1967, volunteers planted 8,000 coniferous trees in an effort to diversify and reintroduce native timber, later planting an additional 9,600 trees, consisting of 18 distinct species.

CAMP OFFERINGS
Over the years, the camp experience at Tahigwa has expanded from merely an outdoor adventure to a hands-on learning and confidence-building opportunity for those who attend. Today girls enjoy a ropes and challenge course, tubing, canoeing, hiking, cooking, primitive camping and more.
Whatever activity, Averhoff noted, “the girls can be themselves” while learning about cooperation and teamwork. “We focus first on safety, then on fun and learning,” he said.

ALL INVITED
Angela Grunder, assistant director of leadership experiences in charge of outdoor programs, said she hopes families will take advantage of the Fun Day to find out more about camp and the Girl Scouts. “It’s a chance for families to experience a little bit of what the girls can expect a lot more of if they come to camp,” said Grunder.
Grunder added the weekend is also a great opportunity for families to get outdoors. Families can take a tour, explore a camp site and participate in a Girl Scouts Forever green activity to learn more about helping the environment. Lunch and s’mores are provided for the small per family registration fee.
Girls can also register for the upcoming Girl Scout year. Those who sign up this Sunday at the Open House will receive a special patch and t-shirt. Families can also learn more about this summer’s troop and group camping opportunities, which run between the middle of June and beginning of July. Girls can also sign up for a Me and My Pal experience, where an adult in their life can join them at camp for a three-day experience.
“We want to show families how camp can be a special place where girls can learn skills that last them a lifetime,” said Grunder.
To register for the Family Fun Day/Open House, visit www.GirlScoutsToday.org/calendar or call 800-798-0833.